Legendary music venue set to host musical powerhouses for one night only in Toronto

Top talent across Toronto’s music landscape are gearing up for a massive show honouring the city’s arts scene.

Into the Void is an upcoming show set to take place at one of the city’s most revered venues — Lee’s Palace.

Featuring some of the local scene’s most notable metal, punk and alternative supergroups, such as Shiv & The Carvers, Kali Horse, and The OBGMS (to name a handful), Into the Void is built on a foundation of paying tribute to the music of Black Sabbath, while putting the spotlight on those in need in the city.

Curated by Project Nowhere, one of the newest heavy hitters in the festival circuit, the show will honour prominent icons of the city’s past, while simultaneously jumpstarting charitable endeavours for its future.

[No Joy performing at last year’s Project Nowhere Festival. Photo Credit Green Yang]

“The idea of doing it as a tribute show came from a place of wanting to give something back to people who have made a huge impact on the community,” Juliana Carlevaris, festival and artistic director for Project Nowhere, told yourcitywithIN.com.

Key focuses for the upcoming event are the Will Munro Foundation for Queer & Trans People Living with Cancer⁠, as well as paying homage to Michelle Puska.

 

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Munro, a legendary Toronto artist and promoter of the early 2000s, and Puska, a foundational figure in the community during the 2010s, both died of cancer in 2010 and 2022, respectively.

Now, as Toronto’s music scene plateaus into the latter half of the 2020s, Carlevaris, who worked closely with Puska before her passing, is setting the tone amidst the backdrop of mid-winter, with a show that will surely melt some faces as well as the street ice.

As for why Black Sabbath, Carlevaris notes that, beyond famous frontman Ozzy Osbourne’s recent passing, Sabbath, for many young artists, was the first toe dipped into the pond of heavier sounds, often leaving a lasting generational impact.

[Ancient Greece performing at last year’s Project Nowhere Festival. Photo Credit Green Yang]

“It was surprising to see the variety of people and genres wanting to perform at the event, and I think a lot of people have been revisiting Sabbath’s catalogue. They’re a trailblazing band and are often credited with creating the genre of heavy metal,” says Carlevaris.

In terms of format, Into the Void will be tasking each participating band with covering a section of Sabbath’s expansive discography.

Carlevaris noted that the idea emerged around October during Project Nowhere’s city-spanning music festival. However, the notion was chambered until the start of the new year, giving the community a place to gather and celebrate after the likely exhaustive holiday season.

[Johnny Jewel performing at last year’s Project Nowhere Festival. Photo Credit Green Yang]

“We’re always looking for ways to give back, and this loose format of a tribute show has the benefit of being so wide-reaching — I feel confident in saying it’s going to be really cool.”

Beyond the base of local bands who crush their respective heavier genres, Carlevaris also mentioned participating talent outside the purview of metal, like Howdy Partner, a country outfit that will likely throw a little bit more ‘twang’ on some of Sabbath’s hits.

“It seemed like a no-brainer to get as many people involved as possible to reach out to as many corners of the city as we can. It’s a really fun format to honour the people that we are paying tribute to in a way that doesn’t have to be sad,” says Carlevaris. “At the end of the day, we’re throwing a party, we’re putting on a show, and we’re bringing people together centred around the music and being there for one another.”

[Glum performing at last year’s Project Nowhere Festival. Photo Credit Green Yang]

Project Nowhere’s Into The Void: A Sabbath Tribute will take place on Jan. 15 at Lee’s Palace at 529 Bloor St W.

All proceeds from the show will go towards the Will Munro Foundation.

Headline photo by Green Yang.